Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a spray nozzle and more specifically to a nozzle to discharge liquid material in a pattern which has the same quantity of liquid material in each increment of the pattern. The nozzle may be used in various orientations in which a supply of pressurized liquid is available with the liquid being discharged generally in a lateral direction in relation to the path of movement of the nozzle thereby rendering the nozzle quite effective for use in discharging liquid fertilizer, growth retardant, insect sprays, orchard spray material and the like in an effective manner. In one embodiment of the invention, a nozzle is provided with a discharge passageway, a downwardly opening, inverted U-shaped extension of the passageway and a curved blade diffuser in the inverted U-shaped extension of the passageway to break up the liquid flow into droplets and to cause the droplets to be discharged in a lateral pattern with substantially equal quantities of liquid material being discharged in each increment of the path being traversed by the nozzle. In another embodiment of the invention, an additive injector is incorporated into the nozzle which enables a controlled quantity of liquid material to be injected into the main flow of liquid being discharged with the diffuser effectively serving as a mixer for the additive and the liquid discharged from the nozzle.